 |
Probably searching for salmon, San Juan orcas visit California
Thursday, March 2, 2000
By SCOTT SUNDE
California-haters from Sumas to Battle Ground ought to hang their heads in shame.
Two pods of beloved orcas that make the San Juan Islands their home have been spotted in California's Monterey Bay. To make matters worse, the killer whales were there because Washington's equally beloved salmon are in such short supply.
"They were eating salmon down there," said Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research on the San Juans. "We don't have salmon here."
Researchers who track the orcas suspect the mammals turning up 1,000 miles farther south than they had ever been seen before underscores problems with their food supply. Already researchers worry about the small numbers of orcas in the San Juans and evidence of toxins in their body tissues.
As is their custom, some orcas leave the San Juans in the winter to find food. No one has ever known exactly where the whales go.
They typically return in May.
In the past, the orcas have been photographed as far south as Grays Harbor in Washington state, said Rich Osborne, science curator for the Whale Museum in Friday Harbor. Reports from the 1930s also have the San Juan orcas going as far as 60 miles up the Columbia River in search of salmon.
This winter, however, dozens of orcas from the San Juans' "K" and "L" pods, which are thought to comprise 50 orcas, ventured to California.
On Jan. 29, a whale-watching boat went out into Monterey Bay. The hope was to find dolphins or gray whales.
Instead, the boat encountered about 50 orcas, said Nancy Black of Monterey Bay Whale Watch. The killer whales seemed unconcerned about the boat and instead focused on the salmon.
Black took photographs of the orcas. She later compared them to photos of known orca pods. The whales are identified by their white saddle patches and dorsal fins.
The photos matched those of the San Juan orcas. Whale experts in Washington state agree.
"We never expected them to go this far. Our suspicion is that this is something new," Osborne said.
"I'm not saying they've never been down there before," added Marilyn Dahlheim, a biologist who studies orcas at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle. "But I think it's unlikely."
The whales haven't been seen in Monterey Bay since Jan. 29. Researchers aren't sure where they are, but the pods are expected to return to the San Juans in the spring. A third pod, "J," remains near the islands.
Researchers can't say for sure why the orcas ranged so far south. But a good hunch seems to be that the orcas were foraging.
"We suspect that they have to range farther to find food in the winter," Osborne said.
"I'd be really interested in what's going on in the ocean," Dahlheim said. She said studying ocean temperatures and fish movement may yield some clues.
In the past, the orcas could count on a year-round supply of salmon in the Northwest. "That's history now," Balcomb said.
Still, he figures it's good news that the majestic creatures have adapted -- finding salmon elsewhere and keeping themselves fed.
The other plus may be that the San Juan Island pods may mingle with other orcas that typically remain offshore. That could bring about interbreeding and add genetic diversity to the San Juan Island killer whales, Osborne said.
P-I reporter Scott Sunde can be reached at 206-448-8331 or scottsunde@seattle-pi.com
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTER
· Mall searched after fatal shooting, no gunman found
· Fire leaves two Arlington boys dead
· Shooting leaves three hurt, one dead in Skyway
more
101 Elliott Ave. W.
Seattle, WA 98119
(206) 448-8000
Home Delivery: (206) 464-2121 or (800) 542-0820
seattlepi.com serves about 1.7 million unique visitors
and 30 million page views each month.
Send comments to newmedia@seattlepi.com
Send investigative tips to iteam@seattlepi.com
©1996-2008 Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Terms of Use/Privacy Policy
